Automatic tank destroyer



. Filed Dec. 8, 1939 M. RC

w m /Mm L v 4 T mNfl'. T MF A MYv s Patented 'June 1, 1943 AUTOMATIC TANK DESTROYER Gleason L. Archer, Boston, Mass., assignor to Suffolk University, a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 8, 1939, Serial No. $98,192

(Cl. 102--S) 7 Claims.

My invention relates to a device for destroying tanks or other instrumentalities of war. The device consists of a container filled withinflammable liquid, which is placed in the path of the tank to be destroyed and which, upon being run over, will automatically spray the liquid into or against the underpart of the tank and at the same time will ignite the liquid, thereby destroying the tank or rendering it useless.

An object of my invention is to provide a device which, in one form, would be placed in the held or terrain over which tanks might charge, and which, in a smaller form, could be cast or projected in the path of an advancing tank by soldiers in open battle field or in trench- Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear more fully upon referring to the following specification which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which the single figure illustrates an approved form of the device.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the device may consist of a flat or appropriately shaped mat, cushion or container I filled with any suitable inflammable liquid or material, such as gasolene or a highly inflammable gas, and so constructed that under pressure the device will discharge its contents in powerful jets upwardly through the openings or orifices 2 in the cover or upper surface 3 of the device thereby saturating the tank or other instrumentality of war passing over it. The device is equipped with an incendiary bomb or other attachment l capable of igniting the inflammable liquid, thus causing destruction or disablement of the tank. In a preferred embodiment of my invention a large number of small openings 2 are spaced over a substantial area so that a very intense heat is created instantaneously under a large surface of the tank. In another form of the invention (not illustrated), a smaller number of openings, or even one large opening, may be used to concentrate the heat in a smaller area.

The incendiary bomb 4 may be any suitable detonating cap or other device which will explode on the application of pressure thereto and which will produce an explosion of suflicient intensity and duration to ignite the sprays of inflammable liquid that have been or are being ejected through the openings 2. In some instances it may be desirable to use two or more detonating caps located around or in the container in such a manner as to insure ignition of the inflammable liquid at the instant it is discharged through the openings.

It is to be understood that the material of which the device I is made is such-that it will readily flex, or be distorted or collapsed, by any great weight such as that of a tank, so as to permit the upper cover or plate 3 to be forced down and thereby provide the expelling force which will cause the inflammable liquid to be ejected in powerful jets through the small openings.

A suitable opening covered by a cap 5 is pro vided for filling the container with the inflammable liquid. The cap 5 is preferably provided with an automatic safety vent to relieve pressures resulting from vaporization or expansion of the inflammable liquid.

The size and dimensions of the device shall be determined according to the uses to which it is to be put. The device may vary in size from large permanently fixed devices to small portable devices that may readily be placed by hand in the open terrain over which the tanks advance, or even be thrown like hand grenades, in the latter case the force of impact being sufficient to rupture the container and to explode the cap which ignites its contents.

The small openings or jet vents 2 in the upper surface of the tank destroyer, may consist of pressure valves screwed into appropriate openings; or holes drilled through the upper plate and capped with solder or a thin layer of metal or other material that will rupture at the proper pressure; or h'oles drilled from the underside nearly through the upper surface so that pres sure will cause rupture but until such rupture the said upper surface is to be smooth and unmarked; or the said openings may be constructed by any other suitable method.

The device is hermetically sealed (except for the safety vent in cap 5) thereb ypreventing evaporation or escape of the gasolene or other inflammable material and as the device will operate automatically it will not require further attention after being put in position. It is contemplated that a large number of tank destroyers could be set out in a close formation over a large area to provide an effective barrier against waves of tank attacks.

When the device is to be fixed in place and covered with dirt for concealment, the valves or sealing members for the opening 2 should be capable upon the application of pressure to the device, of shooting upwardly a pellet or missile that would open a way through the dirt for an unimpeded jet of inflammable liquid.

While I have described an approved form of my invention and certain modifications thereto, it is to be understood that various other modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and that I desire to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

1. A tank destroyer device comprising a wedgeshaped container of material of such rigidity as to be collapsible under the weight of a tank, said container having a flat upper surface provided with a plurality of perforations, rupturable mem bers closing said perforations, an inflammable fluid in said container, and a detonator incorporated in said device for igniting said inflammable fluid upon its ejection through said perforations upon the collapse of said container.

2. A tank destroyer comprising a wedge-shaped container having a flat upper surface and collapsible side walls, said container having a plurality of perforations spaced over the entire area of said flat upper surface, rupturable closures for said perforations, a detonator at one end of the wedge-shaped container, said container being adapted to contain an inflammable fluid, and a vent; in said container for relieving pressures resulting from vaporization or expansion of said inflammable fluid.

3. An incendiary device comprising a crushable container adapted to be placed in the path of travel of a vehicle to be destroyed, an inflammable material in said container, said container having an upper flat surface, a large number of small openings in said flat surface through which said inflammable material is sprayed against said vehicle as it crushes said container, and an ignitor for said inflammable material.

4. A tank destroyer comprising a container filled with an inflammable liquid, side walls for said container of a material of such rigidity that said side walls will crush when said container is run over by a tank, an upper fiat surface for said container having a large number of small holes spaced over the entire area thereof whereby said inflammable liquid is sprayed upwardly through said small holes against said tank as said container is crushed, a detonator adjacent one of the side walls of said container for directly igniting the inflammable liquid sprayed through said small holes, and a device for relieving internal pressure in said container due to causes other than the crushing of said container by a tank.

5. A tank destroyer device comprising a wedgeshaped container having a flat upper surface and collapsible side walls, the upper flat surface being formed with a plurality of perforations spaced over the entire area thereof, rupturable closures for said perforations, a detonator incorporated in said device at one end of the wedge-shaped container, said container being adapted to contain an inflammable fluid, and a vent in said container for relieving pressures resulting from vaporization or expansion of said inflammable fluid.

6. A tank destroyer device comprising a container filled with an inflammable liquid, side walls for said container of a material of such rigidity that said side walls will crush when said container is run over by a tank, an upper flat surface for said container having a large number of small holes spaced over the entire area thereof whereby said inflammable liquid -is sprayed upwardly through said small holes against said tank as said container is crushed, a detonator incorporated in said device and juxtaposed along one of the side Walls of said container for directly igniting the inflammable liquid sprayed through said small holes, and a device incorporated in a wall of said container for relieving internal pressure in said container due to causes other than the crushing of said container by a tank.

7. A tank destroyer comprising a container constructed of material that will crush when said container is run over by a tank, an inflammable liquid in said container, rupturable areas in said container through which said inflammable liquid is sprayed when said container is crushed, all of the rupturable areas in said container being. located in the upper portion thereof whereby the inflammable liquid will be sprayed upwardly and in scattered streams against the tank, and a pressure actuated device for igniting the liquid sprayed through said rupturable areas.

GLEASON L. ARCHER. 

